


Korra's life-changing field trip

by MiriRainbowitz



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen, Not Canon Compliant, The Zutara is only a background relationship, Zuko's life-changing field trips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:14:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26061013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiriRainbowitz/pseuds/MiriRainbowitz
Summary: What the White Lotus member said: Avatar Korra is in a secure and secret location, and we want to keep her there.What Zuko heard: we don't mind if it takes you a little bit longer than usual to break in andkidnap hertake her on a field trip
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Katara, Toph Beifong & Zuko
Comments: 34
Kudos: 145





	1. In which an a discussion is had

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Marsalias](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marsalias/gifts).



> This fic is inspired by [this post](https://dammmithardison.tumblr.com/post/627222115307962368/five-rivers-thenerdycupcake-five-rivers-i) and was written with their permission

"What's troubling you, Zuko?" Katara asked.

The former Fire Lord sighed. "Have you been to the compound young Avatar Korra lives?"

"Yes, you know I have. Why do you ask?" Katara replied.

"I… would you mind helping me break in there?" Zuko asked. "Or at least help me with planning the break-in? I don't want to push you-"

"You would deny an old woman a chance at a life-changing field trip?" Katara asked. "For shame, Zuko."

Zuko turned to her, looking confused. "But the Southern Raiders-"

"You helped me find a _boat_ , dear. Meanwhile you and Aang broke into the Sun Temple and you and Sokka-" her voice cracked "-Sokka broke into a high-security Fire Nation prison. A White-Lotus-run compound is the least I deserve," Katara replied teasingly.

"You make an impeccable argument, my dear," Zuko said. "Will you be waking up with the sun tomorrow?"

"Only if you give me a _very_ good incentive to do so," Katara replied. "Sun and moon, my love. Sun and moon."

* * *

Hundreds of miles away, Toph Beifong jolted awake. An internal voice was yelling that she needed to get to Katara's and Zuko's home _now_.

With a grin, she grabbed the bag with her traveling kit and took off in the direction of the nearest town. Something _fun_ was about to happen.


	2. In which an unexpected guest shows up

When Toph arrived at Katara's and Zuko's house, she spent a considerable amount of time debating whether she should knock or just barge in.

Well. Considerable for _her_. Most people probably wouldn't think half a second was a lengthy amount of time, but then again, Toph Beifong was not most people.

The front door was metal. Toph figured it was supposed to keep people out, but it was easy for her to kick it out of its frame and send it crashing into the wall.

Toph smirked. Inventing metalbending was definitely her best idea ever.

"Who's th- Toph? What are you _doing_ here?" Katara asked, coming into the hallway.

Toph's smirk changed into a more genuine smile. "Nice to see you, Sugar Queen," she replied. "Is His Royal Grumpiness around?" She walked in, making it a few steps before being blindsided by Katara pulling her into a fierce hug.

Toph softened ever-so-slightly into Katara's embrace. She'd forgotten how good Katara's hugs were, soft and warm and motherly, and a lump formed in her throat.

Katara finally released Toph and walked into the adjacent room. Based on the furniture Toph could see, they were in a sitting room. "You can sit anywhere you want," Katara said, walking over to a couch, so Toph sat in the chair closest to her.

Toph decided to cut right to the chase. "I know you and Zuko are up to _something_ , but I don't know what. Spill the beans."

"Zuko's at the market right now, but he should be home soon. And it's his idea, so I think he should tell you," Katara replied. "But Toph, how have you _been_? I haven't seen you in ten years!"

Toph shrugged and smiled. "The swamp's treating me well. There's an abundance of mud and a distinct lack of people bothering me."

"An abundance of mud? Do you and the local boar-q-pines wallow at the same time?" Katara teased.

Toph snorted inelegantly. "They surrendered the best mud-spots to me after I kicked their asses with my mud-bending."

"Bullying some helpless animals is hardly difficult," Katara retorted. "I wonder if you'd be able to defeat a master mud-bender as easily."

Toph grinned. "Are you challenging me, Sweetness?"

Toph could practically hear Katara's answering smile. "Bring it, Blind Bandit."

* * *

"Katara, I think we broke your husband."

"I think it's because he didn't expect to see you here, Toph."

Zuko spluttered. "No - I - mud! You're covered in _mud_!"

Katara just smiled. "Put away the food, dear. I think we're going to have another person coming with us on our expedition."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter wasn't supposed to be Toph-centric, but she just barged in and made it about her.


	3. In which information is shared

"If you two are done being all lovey-dovey, can we start talking about important things?" Toph asked. "I'm dying of anticipation over here."

"The White Lotus has informed me that the new Avatar is being trained at a secure and secret location," Zuko said. "I can't imagine what the Grand Lotus was thinking. Uncle would have objected, and Sokka would never have gone for such a stupid idea. Really, the whole Order is becoming more and more ridiculous each day-"

"What Zuko is trying to say is that we're going to kidnap Korra and take her on a field trip," Katara cut in. "Honestly, they practically _invited_ us to do it."

"They even sent someone here to tell me that they 'don't want me to kidnap Korra'," Zuko said. "Obviously, they want it to be a surprise."

"So where are we going? And when do we leave?" Toph asked, looking excited.

Katara and Zuko looked at each other and had a quick conversation via facial expressions. "It's in the South Pole," Katara answered. "But it's summer, so your feet shouldn't freeze off. And we were thinking of leaving here tomorrow afternoon. Will that work for you?"

"I'll be ready and waiting," Toph said excitedly. "This is gonna be so much _fun_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know that one post that's like "Sokka is a member of the White Lotus and he doesn't know it"? I kind of took that idea and ran really far with it. Like, I ran a _marathon_ with it.


	4. In which a break-in occurs

"You know, I could have just toppled the gate," Toph grumbled as she and Katara dragged the unconscious guards inside the compound. "It would have been a lot quicker."

"It would also have been a lot noisier, and we're trying to be stealthy," Katara replied. She regarded Toph. "Don't worry. Competitive bending _is_ on our itinerary."

"I guess that's true," Toph said. "I just want to break stuff _now_." She stomped on the last word, a tangible tremor running through the earth, then said, "I can feel Korra and her polar dog around that corner-" she pointed- "but she's being guarded. There's ten of them." She stomped again. "I think they're all waterbenders."

Katara reached her waterbending sense out, and sure enough, she could feel ten flasks of water. "Well, it _is_ night," she replied. "Makes sense."

Toph grinned, a maniacal gleam entering her eyes. "Makes _fun_ ," she answered, and Katara couldn't help but agree. Her heart was beating faster in anticipation, her senses sharpening as she readied herself for the fight.

Katara rounded the corner side by side with Toph. "Master Katara? What-" one guard said before Katara yanked the water out of their flasks and pulled it into a whip, lashing out at the flailing guards. Several fist-sized chunks of earth rose from the ground, each targeting the guards' heads. All too soon, there were ten unconscious bodies lying on the ground.

Toph started towards the door, but it opened before she got to it, revealing a young Water Tribe teenager. "What's going- Master Katara?"

Katara smiled. "It's good to see you, Korra. Would you like us to take you on a field trip?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that I've added the tag "Not Canon Compliant". The next few chapters are going to be _heavily_ non-canon-compliant.


	5. In which some ass is kicked

Zuko frowned slightly as Korra gaped at the city around them. She was a _teenager_ , for Agni's sake- she shouldn't be awed by Satomobiles and tall buildings. Sure, she might have been safe, living in the White Lotus compound, but she was also far too sheltered.

When Korra turned to look at him, though, he instantly wiped his frown away. "Where are we going? And where are Masters Katara and Toph?"

Zuko fought hard not to smirk. "We're going to a pro-bending tournament," he replied. "And Katara and Toph are already at the stadium, getting everything ready."

"Pro-bending? What is that?" Korra asked, and Zuko sighed internally. _**Definitely** too sheltered_, he thought, but managed to keep up a conversation about it until they reached the arena.

He kept up an innocent facade as he escorted Korra to her seat, then made an excuse about going to the bathroom and hurried to the locker room that Katara and Toph were in.

"Bout time you showed up," Toph said as he started changing. "We're up in a few minutes."

Zuko shrugged. "I'm here now," he replied. "Are you two ready to kick some so-called 'professional bender' ass?"

"Dear, we _invented_ ass-kicking," Katara said. "When we were _Korra's_ age. This is gonna be just like old times."

"Speak for yourself, Sweetness. I was younger than her when I became a certified ass-kicker," Toph retorted.

Before Katara could reply, a loud voice rang out. "And now, we have our first match! The Roaring Rhino-bears, up against a brand new team- The Grandparent Gaang!"

By the time the announcer finished speaking, Zuko, Katara, and Toph were standing at the edge of the platform. After a second, the platform started moving forward, bringing the trio forward towards the island in the center of the arena. Zuko took a deep breath, centering himself. He closed his eyes and let a memory of multi-colored fire surrounding him fill his mind.

An elbow poked his side, and he turned to look at Katara, then at the stands where she was pointing. A smile spread across his face as he saw Korra jumping up and down in excitement. _Good_ , he thought. Happiness looked good on her.

A bell rang, and Zuko instantly jumped into the air to avoid a blast from the opposing firebender, then brought down a lash of fire, aiming for his head. The other bender dodged to the side- straight into Katara's water whip, which sent him stumbling back, out of the first zone. A stone disc flew at him, but before it could hit him, Toph rolled in front of him and caught it. She gestured, and the disc broke into shards, which she sent back at the other team.

A water whip lashed out at Toph, but Zuko aimed a blast of fire at it, evaporating it when it hit. Katara raised her arms, and a wave of water crested the platform, knocking the other team down.

"Round one goes to the Grandparent Gaang!" The announcer exclaimed. "I must say, that was a spectacular move by their team's waterbender!" His words received a roar of approval from the audience.

"Hey Zuko, want to throw some flaming rocks at them?" Toph asked. Zuko smiled. "That sounds like a great idea," he replied.

The bell rang again, and Katara summoned a wall of water in front of them. Three discs rose out of the floor, hovering steadily in the air, as Zuko released streams of fire at them. When the discs were glowing white-hot, Zuko gestured for Katara to drop the wall, then watched in satisfaction as the discs hurtled forward, straight into the chests of the other team. They went down in an instant.

"And the Roaring Rhino-bears are down again, thanks to the unusual combination of firebending and earthbending!" The announcer enthused. "I tell you what, folks, the Grandparent Gaang might be old, but they clearly have some tricks up their sleeves!"

The bell rang again, and the Roaring Rhino-bears wasted no time attacking, clearly desperate and angry at their two losses. Zuko found himself settling into an almost meditative state, feeling his chi direct his fire, the movement of his limbs almost unnecessary. A smile grew on his face- this was really just _fun_.

A pained cry came from his left. Zuko turned to see Toph clutching her hand, the skin on it clearly burned. Rage filled Zuko, and he redirected his chi into his chest, his lungs, his mouth, as he took off the helmet. Fire poured out of his mouth, a wide fan of it, forcing the other benders back with its ferocity.

As the Roaring Rhino-bears neared the edge of the platform, three streams of water rose up behind them and encased them, then pulled them right off the platform. Zuko stopped the fire coming out of his mouth and turned back to Katara and Toph. Katara was already kneeling next to Toph, whose hand was surrounded by glowing blue water.

The arena was dead silent. Zuko looked around, seeing shock and disbelief on everyone's face. The announcer was there first to recover his voice.

"That's a definite victory for the Grandparent Gaang," he said, his voice slightly shaky. "But with their earthbender being injured, they won't be able to continue-"

"Their earthbender is fine," Toph yelled, cutting off the announcer. "In fact, the Grandparent Gaang's earthbender is looking forward to kicking the shit out of the next team, so bring 'em on!"

Zuko turned and looked at Katara, seeing a determined look in her eyes. He smiled. The fun had only just begun.


	6. In which Katara and Zuko annoy the Grand Lotus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Grand Lotus in LoK doesn't have a name, so I made one up.

Katara could tell that Grand Lotus Kutuk was nervous, although he tried to appear calm and composed. To be fair, he was facing a silently disapproving Zuko in a game of pai sho. Lesser men had broken down in this situation.

Katara was perfectly content to just watch as Kutuk sweated, but evidently the man had more guts than she thought, because he started speaking. "Lord Zuko, it really is urgent-"

"Surely whatever business brought you to my home can wait for a few more minutes until our game is finished?" Zuko asked, and Kutuk grimaced. "Well, yes, but-"

"Then surely we can finish this game in peace," Zuko said. Katara snickered- Kutuk didn't even realize that Zuko wasn't just playing pai sho, he was playing Kutuk himself. A quick pang of sorrow struck her- Sokka would have seen right through Zuko's facade.

The game finished soon after, with Zuko easily winning. Zuko packed up the board and pieces, then smiled graciously at Kutuk. "So what is the matter, Grand Lotus Kutuk?"

"Avatar Korra was taken from our compound two days ago, and we've tracked her here, to Jiangli," Kutuk said. "We were hoping that since you and Lady Katara live here, you could help us search for her. She might be in grave danger."

"Certainly," Zuko replied smoothly. "Let's go at once. If Avatar Korra is in danger, we should hurry as much as possible." Katara, having known Zuko for decades, caught the hidden meaning in his words, but Kutuk seemed to accept the words at face value.

Katara hurried to the backyard where Toph was watching Korra sleep. "Zuko and I are going into town with Kutuk. Make sure she doesn't get away until we're back."

Toph grinned. "It'll take more than an untrained teenager to knock me over," she replied. "Go have fun torturing that stick-in-the-mud with your husband."

Katara ducked back out, grabbing a few baskets and a pouch of money. As long as they were in town - and wasting Kutuk's time - they might as well go shopping.

By the time the trio returned to Katara's and Zuko's house, almost an hour and a half had passed, and Kutuk was obviously at his wits end. Between the deliberately slow pace that Zuko had set, Katara's insistence on shopping and talking to the sellers, and the fact that Korra obviously wasn't in the town, Kutuk was visibly annoyed.

"I'm sorry I wasted your time, Lord Zuko, Lady Katara," he said, sitting down on a chair, looking dejected. "I should leave."

"Absolutely not," Katara said. "You haven't even said hello to our other guests! Come with me. They should be in the backyard." She quickly went towards the backyard, sensing Kutuk follow her.

Katara entered the backyard, then slipped to the side of the door to let Kutuk in. He froze at the entrance, looking shocked at the sight of Korra attacking Toph with water, fire, and earth, but not managing to land a single hit.

Zuko sidled up next to Katara. "Kutuk, would you like to stay for dinner? Adding one more guest shouldn't be a problem," he said, and Kutuk turned to him, eyes full of anger.

"What- what is the _meaning_ of this, Lord Zuko?" Kutuk demanded. "Avatar Korra has- has she been here all along?"

"Of course not," Zuko replied. "We took her to Republic City first. We left this morning. You actually got here barely an hour after we did." He frowned. "Did you really think we would do something boring on her first field trip?"


End file.
